Good news for Italians: the electricity bill register a drop of 10,8% during the first quarter of 2024. This was announced by the Regulatory Authority for Energy, Networks and the Environment (Arera). This decrease concerns the families remaining in the protected market, with approximately 9 million users, and anticipates the transition to the free market for the non-vulnerable, scheduled for July 2024, XNUMX.
The president of Arera, Stefano Besseghini, underlined that, despite this reduction, prices remain around double those pre-crisis, and the European energy system is not without risks. With the start of the new year, a phase of change begins with the overcoming of protection services, and attention to reducing consumption and costs remains crucial.
Electricity bills falling: prices halved compared to 2023
According to Arera, the average bill for a typical family will be 25,24 euro cents per kWh in the first quarter of 2024, compared to 28,29 cents in the previous quarter. This translates into significant savings for families, with an expected annual expenditure of around 684 euros, 50% less than the previous year.
In detail, the 10,8% reduction is mainly attributed to decrease in energy expenditure, equal to approximately -14%, although offset by increases in regulated network tariffs (+2,1%) and general system charges (+1,1%). Arera underlines that geopolitical tensions in the Middle East have interrupted the downward trend in the prices of energy raw materials.
However, according to some consumer associations, despite the 10,8% drop, electricity prices remain high compared to the pre-crisis period. Some experts warn of the risk of a further surge in tariffs during 2024, given the volatility still present in the international markets of energy raw materials.
